Mourinho insists title is in Man City's hands

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho insists Manchester City remain in a better position to win the Premier League than his own team.

Published

9 March 2014

Saturday's 4-0 second-half demolition of Tottenham at Stamford Bridge extended Chelsea's advantage at the summit to seven points, although both Liverpool and Arsenal have a game in hand.

City are two points further back, but have played three games less than Mourinho's men owing to their cup exploits and the inclement weather than saw last month's encounter with Sunderland postponed.

Manuel Pellegrini's team face Manchester United in a rescheduled derby at Old Trafford later this month, while new dates are yet to be set for the home clashes against Sunderland and Aston Villa.

That fixture backlog is widely viewed as a factor that could decisively swing the title race in Chelsea's favour, but Mourinho was eager to point out that City's fate ultimately remain in their own hands

"I would like to be in that position because if they win the matches they are top of the league," the Portuguese said.

"If we win the next nine matches we maybe are not champions. If Man City win the 12 matches they have, they are champions. They have their destiny in their hands and we don't have ours.

"I just know that I would prefer to have my destiny in my hands. If you tell me you win the next nine matches and you are champions, I say, 'okay, great' - it depends on us.

"But it doesn't depend on us. It depends on them."

Samuel Eto'o was a late addition to the Chelsea starting line-up against Tottenham after Fernando Torres suffered a groin injury during the warm-up.

The experienced striker responded with a fine all-round display and the opening goal, something he may have to reproduce next time out as Mourinho suggested Torres could be sidelined for a fortnight.

"Sometimes these things happen and in the warm-up he was feeling something in his groin," he added.

"You know how muscles are. Even a little thing and you are out for two weeks."